The present invention relates to homokinetic tripod joints of the type in which a tripod element is axially retained in a bowl element provided with runaways whose line through the centres is curved.
These joints are usually employed for driving the driving wheels of front wheel drive automobiles. They must be capable of transmitting the driving torque at large operating angles and must be sufficiently strong to avoid fracture as a result of a driving fault (sudden engagement of the clutch) when the wheels are at a steering angle, ie. in the configuration in which their mechanism is subjected to maximum stresses.
When it is desired to increase the angular possibilities of these joints, one is led to very substantially increase their dimensions if it is desired to retain the same strength at the maximum angle of operation and the same joint life. This required increase in dimensions increases more rapidly than the possible angularity so that there results, with respect to angles of the order of 50.degree., either an unacceptable overall size or insufficient strength and joint life. Further, in conventional joints of this type, a part of the internal volume of the bowl element is occupied by means for maintaining the tripod element pre-stressed against the inner end of the bowl element, which renders these difficulties more serious and increases the complexity of the joint.